Improvement in show-boxes



P. B. GURNEY.

Show-Box.

Patented Sept. 2, 1879.

ESS ES:

UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

` FREDERICK B. -GURNEY, OF NEV YQRK, N. MY., ASSIGNOR TO HERMAN VFUNKE, JR., OF; SAME PLACE.

IM PRovl-:MENT SHOW-Boxes.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 219,255. dated September 2, 1879 application filed 4 May 13, 1879.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known th at I, FREDERICK B. GURNEY, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements relating to Show-Boxes, and Ido hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof.

. My improved box is intended for use on the shelves of retail stores, and in wholesale stores,

warehouses, and other places where it may be i desired to hold a large or small stock of any small articles in the box, and to exhibit one as a sample on the outside. This general inode of storing and showing articles has been long practiced and has acknowledged advantages;

`through one or more apertures in the side of the box, adapted to engage and hold the knife or other article. The spring-tension holds it firmly; but, when it is desired to liberate it, the force of one or two fingers applied to the spring on the inside of the box relaxes its force, and the article thus held on theoutside is then easily detached, and the same or a new one may be inserted in the same manner.

I inclose` thearticles which are to be contained in the box in another smaller box, which may be conveniently applied inside of the main box; By this means I can prevent any contact of the goods with the spring, and thus insure that the spring is not compressed or disturbed thereby.

i I provide for operating the spring, when desired, by a button on the outside of the front, without a necessity for taking down the box and reaching in the top to compress the spring.

The following is a description of what I consider the best means of carrying out the invention.

material, formed with holes c at'the pointsv represented. A is a re-enforcingpiece secured by glue or nails, or both, in the interior .of the box at a convenient distance from the holes a. i

B is a sufliciently-stout spring, of steel wire or hard iron wire, coiled and bent, as represented,

and firmly set in the re-enforcing piece A. (l is a loop, bent, as represented, and inserted through the holes a and engaged with the springB. The spring B draws the loop G into forcible contact with the exterior of the box. The spring B and loop C together constitute a springclip, of which all but a small portion of O is concealed and protected.

The ends B' of the spring B are extended beyond the stout re-enforcing piece A and caused to bear fairly against the inner face of the upright board or box front A. This is important in receiving the force of the spring l and relieving the piece A' from the severe twisting strain to which it would otherwise be j subjected.

When it is desired to insert an article, M, one or two fingers may be applied in the interior of the box, so as to force the spring B against the adjacent inner surface of the box. This enlarges the space between the loop (l and the outer face of the box, and in this condition the article M is inserted in such space.

On liberating the spring B its action draws upon the loop O and catches and holds the article M. l

The interior of the box may hold any quantity of other articles similar to M. Instead of dropping them loosely into the box A, I drop them rst in a smaller box, E, and place the latter with its contents in the box A.

-the article.

lthan two articles.

of goods to make long` boxes, either with orl There may be cases in which it is not convenient to reach inside of the box to liberate the article. For such cases I provide a lever, G, mounted on an axis or fixed center, g, and operated by a push-rod, H, which extends out through a small holel at a convenient point in the front of the box. A button, H', on the end of the push-rod H, on being strongly pressed by the finger, will rock the lever G, and thus compress the spring B and liberate The end of the lever G, being crooked where it takes hold of the spring B, insures that it is always in position for immediate action.

It is desirable that the button shall be near the lower edge of the box, particularly when the box sits on a high shelf. I prefer to place the button H and its push-rod H on one side, near one of' the lower corners, on the front of the box, the lever G being mounted in a corresponding oblique position, as represented. rIhis allows the loop C to hold a long upright article without the button being in the way.

For some articlesas table knives and forks- I propose to mount two springs,B,and loops C in position side by side. The holes a in the box and all the other parts are correspondingly adapted to hold and exhibit a knife by means of one spring, B, and loop C, and a fork by means of the other corresponding spring and loop. I provide in such cases two levers, G, and corresponding push-rods and buttons.

l can,if the box is long enough, exhibit more I propose for some classes without partitions, and to place them on the shelves with a long side presented to the eye. Such will allow a large number of springs and loops. Generally, however, it will be preferable to have separate boxes, cach only large enough to contain a smallerl box, as shown.

Other modifications may be made without departing from the principle of the invention. I can use dat sheet-steel instead of wire for the spring B and corresponding sheet metal for the loop C; but a slender wire for the loop G offers the advantage of not appreciably covering and concealing the article. For ordithe loop C nickel-plated.

The loop G may be formed in one piece with the wire B, if preferred in any case.

I can mount the re-enforcing pieceA, which sustains the spring, below instead of above the holes a,- or I can mount it on the same level at one side, in which case the loop C, if of the same form here shown, would extend up and down instead of horizontally on the exterior of the box, and the t'wo holes a would be one above the other.

Some portion of my invention may be used, and some of its advantages realized, with a spring arranged, as shown, to exhibit goods on the opposite side of a board, even if the board is not a part of the box. In other words, if all the rest of the box were taken away except the end or side which forms the front in my above description, then the spring B may stand on the back side, and its loop C may extend through holes a and hold and release an article on the front side in the same manner as above described for a box; but I prefer not only the complete box A, but also the interior box, E, as shown.

I claim as my inventionl. The loop G, playing through holes a in a box-front 'or equivalent board, A, in combination with a spring, B, mounted at the back of the board, the whole adapted to serve as a show device, as herein specified.

2. In combination with abox-front or board, A, spring B, and loop C, the lever G and operating-rod and button H H', arranged to serve as herein specified.

3. The spring B B', combined, as shown, with the board or box-front A, having holes a, and with the loop G and a suitable supporting or steadying center, A', so that the compression of the spring B induces a force abutting directly against the adjacent surface of the board, and the loop is operated on theopposite face of the board without subjecting the center A to strain, all substantially as herein specied.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 9th day of May, 1879, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRED. B. GURNEY.

Witnesses:

CHARLES C. S'rnrson, E. B. BOLTON. 

